Gohan, the Hunted
Gohan, the Hunted is the twenty second episode of the Namek Saga and the fifty-seventh overall episode in the uncut version Dragon Ball Z series. The original Japanese title is "Genki ga Modotta zo!! Hyakubai Chojuryoku no Naka no Goku" (元気が戻ったぞ!! 100倍超重力の中の悟空). The episode first aired on August 8, 1990. It's original American air date was November 8th, 1997. Summary Goku's space ship is still in the midst of passing a magnetic storm, causing the gravity machine to go haywire. Goku barely survives the most intense gravity he has ever experienced: one hundred times Earth's normal gravity, while he's still dangling from the ceiling (for training purposes.) Oolong, Puar, and Dr. Brief watch Goku's struggle through a transmission. Oolong and Puar seem to panic for Goku's safety, wondering if Goku will survive the perilous storm and complaining that he might not survive for another hour. Dr. Brief concludes that he may know what needs to be done. Then he admits that he doesn't know, after all. As Goku tries to reach for the wire he's hanging from, he shreds his hand, and, as a result, his blood drips onto the ground. Goku then decides to unleash a Kamehameha wave and control it so he can hit the top end of the metallic wire he's hanging from in order to free himself and fall to the ground. However, the blast falls downward again and hits him instead, shredding his clothes and hurting him further. On Planet Namek, Krillin and Bulma's enthusiasm is cut short as they are caught in between Vegeta and Zarbon, and their desires to obtain the Dragon Balls. Krillin steps back as Zarbon stares at Vegeta, smiling. Krillin states that they're in trouble. And Bulma says that she's in trouble because she's in love... openly admitting her attraction for Zarbon, the handsome elite. Krillin tells Bulma that he doesn't think Zarbon's here for a date. Bulma asks Krillin if he thinks Zarbon would actually go on a date with someone like her. Krillin tells her to snap out of it and Bulma is completely swayed by Zarbon's charm, wondering if Zarbon has even noticed her. Krillin tells her that Zarbon has noticed her, but not in the way that she's thinking. Zarbon stands, facing Vegeta, and asks him whether he thought he could escape him for long. Zarbon then notes that he sees Krillin holding another Dragon Ball. He asks whether Vegeta has joined forces with the Earthlings. At this point, Bulma starts yelling at Zarbon, thanking him for coming to rescue her. Vegeta then declares that Bulma is an idiot. Zarbon states that the Earthlings don't concern him and that he's only interested in locating the rest of the Dragon Balls. He gives Vegeta an ultimatum, that he can either tell him the location of the Dragon Balls, or he can tell Frieza. Vegeta continues to smile and is not phased by Zarbon's threat, replying by daring Zarbon to make him talk. Zarbon then cackles at Vegeta's remark, and replies that he'd do it with pleasure. Vegeta then hurries Zarbon to get on with his transformation, noting that he can't possibly defeat him without changing into that hideous creature. Due to his personal obsession with his appearance, this completely annoys Zarbon, who replies that he's now been insulted since someone who looks like Vegeta has no right to call him hideous. Zarbon tells Vegeta he'd kill him right where he stands but Frieza wants him to be brought back alive. Vegeta dares Zarbon to attack him and calls him ugly, which infuriates Zarbon furthermore, as he brings himself to dash at Vegeta with a slew of kicks. Vegeta dodges Zarbon's swift legs and speeds into the sky as Zarbon looks up to revert his attention before quickly following him. Bulma states that Zarbon is her hero as she watches the elegant warrior dash after Vegeta. Although she hasn't fully grasped the situation, Krillin recognizes the amount of danger they're in. Vegeta launches a flurry of blasts at Zarbon from above, but Zarbon dodges them all. He then appears behind Vegeta and launches another blast at him, which Vegeta tosses aside. Zarbon gets in a punch at Vegeta's face as the blast hits the ground and Bulma and Krillin are stunned. Krillin tells Bulma that now is their chance to run. Bulma refuses but Krillin yanks her by the arm. They are running as Vegeta quickly turns and launches a bunch of blasts in front of them, stopping them dead in their tracks, while Zarbon tries to hit him. Vegeta dodges an oncoming blast and reappears behind Zarbon to kick him down to the ground. Zarbon flips and lands on his knees as he turns to face his opponent. Zarbon then concentrates to remember how Frieza had warned him. A flashback is seen of how Frieza told him to stop apologizing and start doing things right. He then remembers how Frieza said he has only one hour to bring back Vegeta and recover the Dragon Balls. Zarbon's internal emotional struggle envelops him. For this warrior, failure is not an option and Frieza's command is his purpose of survival. Out of his fear of his own master, and the opponent he's now facing, Zarbon finds himself in between a rock and a hard place, increasing his desperation. Zarbon then senses he has little time and angrily charges at Vegeta again, who manages to dodge him and slowly ascend to the sky. Zarbon notes to himself that Vegeta is stronger than before. Zarbon then comes to grips with the situation, and since he's run out of options, decides to transform into his beastly reptilian form. As Zarbon's muscles bulge and his body erupts with scales, his face becomes demonic as he stares upward before yanking himself off the ground and speedily after Vegeta. The ground shatters as Zarbon takes off. Bulma and Krillin are left in complete shock. Bulma screams that Zarbon changed into a monster. Krillin fearfully notes that Zarbon has become even more powerful. As Zarbon hurries after Vegeta, he congratulates him, telling him that he's the first person to see this form a second time. Gohan is seen flying with the Dragon Ball he acquired, which Vegeta had previously hidden. He then senses two huge power levels where he had left Bulma and begins to hurry back. As Zarbon dodges a slew of blasts from Vegeta, he makes his way up to the Saiyan. Goku is still hanging and flailing around in the ship as Dr. Brief tells him to be careful. However, Goku has no intention of stopping, spinning his body rapidly. Dr. Brief tells him to reach the gravitron and turn off the gravity control as Puar and Oolong panic. As Goku's speed increases, he unleashes a Kaioken attack, shredding off the top hinges of the cord he's hanging from, and flying right for the gravitron. Dr. Brief, Puar, and Oolong celebrate for Goku freeing himself. Goku is still struggling to move. Zarbon is still in heated combat against Vegeta, now tossing the Saiyan into the air and unleashing a huge blast at him, which Vegeta is unable to counter and gets knocked down from as a result. Zarbon then joyously and sadistically laughs as he drops after Vegeta. Goku struggles to drag his body to the gravitron and raises himself barely enough to slam down on the gravitron control panel with his chin. He then falls to the ground and the gravity is back to normal. Dr. Brief, Oolong, and Puar are happy again as Goku concludes that although he was able to withstand one hundred times Earth's gravity, he must now push his experience to the limit by training under that gravity. Vegeta lands again and grabs some dirt from the ground as Zarbon attacks him. Vegeta dodges the attack, going upward once more as Zarbon bashes his fist into the ground. Zarbon relentlessly hurries after him and Vegeta lets the dirt fall into Zarbon's eyes. This completely annoys and temporarily blinds Zarbon, as he struggles to see. Vegeta takes this opportunity to appear behind him and bash right through the back of his armor, sending him sprawling. Zarbon recovers and turns around with a furious stare. Vegeta appears above him and knocks him into the water below. He then proceeds to blast at Zarbon mercilessly while he's underwater. Zarbon launches himself out of the water and collides with Vegeta in a rapid succession of kicks and punches. Then they both drop to the ground. Zarbon's armor is now battle-damaged and his cape is missing. Zarbon is boiling with rage as he is snarling at Vegeta, telling him that he's dead. Vegeta tells Zarbon to face the fact that he has become far stronger. Vegeta then tells Zarbon to start begging him to spare his life. Zarbon laughs at Vegeta's remark and tells him that he'll crush his skull, and shut his smart mouth once and for all. Vegeta tells Zarbon that the first and last mistake he made was to underestimate the power of a Saiyan. Zarbon is angry out of frustration as Vegeta tells him that Saiyans become stronger after every near death experience. Meanwhile, in the spaceship, Goku struggles to obtain the senzu bean bag in order to recover his strength. After successfully obtaining the bean, Goku is replenished and hops back on his feet. He wants to train under one hundred times Earth's gravity but decides to have a snack first. As Vegeta tells Zarbon that he can bleed a Saiyan to the brink of death and crush every bone in their bodies, but it will only make a Saiyan more powerful. Zarbon is astonished by the magnitude of this capability and begins to realize the futility of the struggle, while Krillin states that this situation is much like how Goku was able to become stronger. Krillin admits that no matter how much of a brutal beating Vegeta takes, he only becomes more stronger. Zarbon then declares that he doesn't care how powerful Vegeta has become and that he'll never defeat him while he's in his transformed state. Vegeta laughs at this assertion as Zarbon furiously runs at Vegeta. Vegeta yells out that he can win while Zarbon is in any form and the two collide once more. In this quick exchange of blows, Vegeta now gets the upper hand, relentlessly punching Zarbon all over his face before performing an uppercut and ruthlessly slamming his fist clean through Zarbon's stomach. As Vegeta's fist is jammed into Zarbon's belly, blood drips out from the severe injury. Zarbon is gripping onto Vegeta's head as Vegeta continues to keep his fist inside the reptilian brute's stomach. Bulma is scared of the whole situation and screams. Zarbon then tells Vegeta that he was only following orders and asks for mercy. Vegeta tells Zarbon that he's begging for his life, after all. Zarbon asks Vegeta to spare him, and they could team up to take down Frieza together. Vegeta then angrily compiles his energy into his fist and blasts directly through Zarbon's stomach. The blast erupts out from Zarbon's back, breaking through him completely and sending him flying into the air. Zarbon is seen being jolted into the sky before falling directly into his watery grave. Vegeta declares that once he has all the Dragon Balls, it will be he who will defeat Frieza. Krillin angrily stares at Vegeta, while gripping the Dragon Ball. Vegeta tells him that he's quite stronger than before, but he's still no match for him. Krillin refuses to hand over the Dragon Ball but Vegeta threatens Bulma, forcing Krillin to comply. Vegeta is extremely overjoyed at finally having obtained what he believes to be the final Dragon Ball. He says that all that remains now is calling forth the dragon and making his wish for immortality, making him the supreme ruler of the universe. He then states that Frieza will die and speeds off into the sky. Krillin thinks to himself, hoping that Gohan will bring that last Dragon Ball back to them. Gohan is seen flying with the Dragon Ball, hoping to avoid allowing the Dragon Ball to fall into Vegeta's clutches. Battles *Vegeta vs. Zarbon *Vegeta vs. Zarbon (transformed) Cast Trivia * Despite the fact that the episode is named after Gohan, Gohan actually only makes a brief cameo in this episode, when he is seen flying back to the cave that he left Bulma, and he remarks that two big powers (Zarbon and Vegeta) are fighting there. This episode's title refers to Gohan being the hunted due to him being the one who possesses the final Dragon Ball. * When Zarbon arrived for his second confrontation with Vegeta, Bulma fell in love with him at first sight (though he didn't seem to notice) and thought he was there to rescue her. Ironically, she marries Vegeta, who kills Zarbon. * A mistake regarding Zarbon's armor was made by the animators during the scene where Vegeta kills him. At the beginning of this scene, Zarbon's armor is already battle-damaged and his cape is gone. While they are fighting, however, his armor and cape are completely intact, as they used a clip from a previous Vegeta vs. Zarbon scene. Category:Namek Saga Category:Dragon Ball Z episodes Category:Episodes Category:Dragon Ball Z